Special thanks to The Hungry Monc for digging into Greater Moncton Poutine Week and sharing every cheesy, drizzly detail. Follow these two foodies, foodieing around the Maritimes searching for all things delicious!
Poutine is arguably the most well known Canadian dish in the world, but where does it come from? Its origin story is contested, with a few establishments claiming they are the inventors. So which restaurant is the birthplace of this delicious mess that emerged in the late 1950s? We subscribe to the theory that it was actually the customers that created this dish: The curds were ordered as a side dish and when restaurateurs saw that their customers were combining the two, they started serving it that way.
What’s not disputed is that the original cheese topping was indeed fresh, squeaky, cheese curds. This explains why the birth of this Canadian cuisine is, not just from Quebec, but the dairy region around Drummondville, Quebec. The dish spread quickly to larger centres like Montreal and Quebec City, and decades later right across Canada, and more recently, the world.
Puttin’ something new on Poutine
Anywhere you go, the holy trinity of a perfect poutine remains the same: crispy fries, thick and savoury gravy, and salty, semi-melted cheese curds. So how did this year’s Greater Moncton Poutine Week participants put a unique spin on this classic Canadian dish?
Fried Chicken
Crispy fried chicken is a natural fit for poutine. After all, chicken and gravy are a match made in comfort food heaven! The rich, crunchy chicken pairs perfectly with the hot, savoury gravy—not just the fries. If you’re craving a fried chicken poutine, check out the Buffalo Supreme Poutine from Pump House Brewing (available in Moncton and Shediac). Their crispy chicken bites have just the right amount of heat for an extra kick. GG’s Bistro and Resto 577 also serve up incredible poutines with crispy chicken, and trust us, they’re a must-try!
Pickles
Poutine is a deeply savoury dish, so it pairs well with ingredients that cut through all that richness. That’s where pickles come in! The team at Chris Rock Tavern knows this well, and their Stout Stack Poutine features pickles that bring the perfect salty, acidic punch. When we visited, the staff let us know that the pickles were mistakenly left out of the Poutine Week ads—but we took their word for it and gave them a shot. We might never eat poutine without pickles again! The tangy crunch balanced beautifully with the deep stout gravy and shaved brisket. We’re most excited about the pickles because this game-changing topping is also an easy one to add when making poutine at home!
Fried Onions
Crispy fried onions add just the right amount of crunch and a burst of flavour to poutine. The Bloomin’ Onion Poutine from Five Bridges is a great example of how well this works. The delicate fried onions blend into the dish seamlessly, but they’re also so good we’d go back just for the bloomin’ onion itself! We still don’t know what’s in the bloomin’ sauce but it’s delicious. Over at Sports Rock Moncton, they took a similar, yet unique approach with the We Be-ef Jamming Poutine, by adding crispy onions and green peppers to their poutine, giving every bite a mix of textures and flavours that keeps things interesting.
Mmm… Maple
There’s only one food more Canadian than poutine: maple syrup. Pairing a salty, savoury dish with something sweet seems like a no-brainer, but we were completely surprised by how well it worked at Resto 577 in Cap-Pelé. Their Sweet and Crispy Poutine features a mix of flavours, including honey garlic sauce, but the real standout is the maple bacon aioli. It was so unique that we almost forgot we were eating a poutine—until the gooey cheese curds reminded us! To enhance the sweetness even more, they’ve used a combination of traditional fries and sweet potato fries. This was easily the most unexpected star among all the poutines we tried.
Beef
Since many poutine gravies are already made with beef stock, why not go all in? St. James’ Gate does just that, topping their poutine with tender, juicy, caramelized beef tips that get even better when coated in delicious gravy. Over at Sports Rock Moncton, the We Be-ef Jamming Poutine takes things further, piling on bacon jam braised beef for an irresistible mix of smoky and savoury flavours. At Chris Rock Tavern, the Stout Stack Poutine is covered in thinly sliced prime rib, adding a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Any way you slice it, beef is a perfect match for customizing a poutine. These meaty additions turn poutine into a heartier, more satisfying meal—one that feels just as comforting as a classic roast dinner.
Poutine is already a star on its own, but these toppings bring even more excitement to the table. Whether you go for crispy chicken, tangy pickles, crunchy fried onions, or rich, savoury beef, there’s a perfect upgrade for every poutine lover. Do you have a favourite poutine topping that we missed? Let us know! Poutine Week ends on April 13th, and we’re always on the lookout for our next great bite!
